datahub/site/content/howtos/why-use-these-tools-to-create-a-catalog.md

title, isDraft

title	isDraft
Why use these tools to create a catalog?	true

On this site, we offer a “recipe” which uses a combination of free tools to easily create a directory of information that can be used for multiple purposes. With this method, you can start capturing information quickly and intuitively in a format that is flexible and usable later for various needs. Why does this help us? Because to map information – to collect, organise, structure, and classify it – and present it clearly is a way to make more sense of it and therefore of the world around us.

What are the benefits of using this method to create a directory?

• You can capture both structured (inc. metadata) and unstructured data (inc. free text and images)
• It’s easy to add to
• It has a flexible structure, e.g. you can easily edit structured data fields
• You can collaborate on it
• You can easily access the information later for exploration and visualization, without the need for tidying and re-formatting